IB History of the Americas Ms. Audrey Rackley Rio arackley@cityschools.com (540) 372-1100 ext. 2304 Course Description Welcome to IB History! The International Baccalaureate History of the Americas course is designed to provide you, as the student, with the analytical skills and factual knowledge necessary to deal critically with the problems and materials in American history. The IB Diploma Program (DP) history course is a world history course based on a comparative and multi-perspective approach to history. It involves the study of a variety of types of history, including political, economic, social and cultural, and provides a balance of structure and flexibility. The course emphasizes the importance of encouraging students to think historically and to develop historical skills as well as gaining factual knowledge. It puts a premium on developing the skills of critical thinking, and on developing an understanding of multiple interpretations of history. In this way, the course involves a challenging and demanding critical exploration of the past. There are six key concepts that have particular prominence throughout the DP history course. The course work will prepare you for intermediate and advanced college courses by making demands upon you equivalent to those made by full-year introductory college courses. Emphasis will be placed on critical and evaluative thinking skills, essay writing, and interpretation of original documents. We will use a college level text and other college level resources. Because this course is similar to a college survey class, compared to other classes that you have experienced in high school, this will likely require more time, a greater quantity of work, and go into greater depth. You signed up for this class so please be prepared to do the work!
Because this course is a serious academic endeavor, success will require the following requirements: First, you will read a LARGE amount of material. You must KEEP UP with your reading assignments to pass the course. I do quiz you on reading material BEFORE I discuss it in class. I do this because with the volume of information you are required to master, it is IMPOSSIBLE for me to cover it all in class. I will only hit the highlights. YOU will be responsible for learning much of it on your own time at home. That being said, your essays and exams will draw largely from the reading, as well as lecture material. Second, you will write A LOT! The entirety of the IB Exam is writing. Further, most assignments in college will be written. Although you will have time to organize your thoughts ahead of time, these are NOT open notes. You MUST keep up with the reading to do well. Breakdown of Topics IB History of the Americas is broken down into four topics of study. Quarter 1 (European Colonial Empires): Part 1: European explorations and conquests in the Americas (c1492 c1600) This section focuses on Spanish, Portuguese, French and British exploration and conquest in the Americas.It examines European exploration and conquest in Latin America, focusing particularly on Spanish and Portuguese contact with indigenous societies, as well as French and British exploration and occupation in North America. The emphasis of this section is on contact, interaction and consequences of exploration and conquest for the indigenous populations. Exploration and conquest in North America: Columbus; conquest of the Caribbean; French and British exploration and occupation in North America, Exploration and conquest in Latin America Economic impact of exploration and conquest: exploitation of resources; acquisition of gold and silver; fur trade; tobacco trade; the Columbian Exchange, Treaty of Tordesillas (1494) Treatment of indigenous populations; Law of Burgos (1512), New Laws of the Indies (1542); assimilation; eradication; social stratification; use of indigenous labour; women; multiracial issues Part 2: Colonial government in the New World (1500 1800) This section focuses on the challenges and problems of colonial governments in the 16th, 17th and18th centuries in the New World. It also looks at government attempts to resolve these problems, and the resistance they encountered. Political and economic structures of the colonial governments are also examined. This structure allows for a comparative approach. Political organization in Spanish and Portuguese America: viceroyalty system, captaincy system; Habsburg and early Bourbon rule; the Braganza rule Political organization in British and French North America: corporate, royal and proprietary; charters Colonial American economies; encomienda, yanaconaje and Mita; plantations; organization of trade; mercantilism; role of gold, silver and sugar Bourbon reforms and Pombaline reforms: reasons, nature and impact Limits of state power and resistance to authority Anglo-French rivalry in North America to 1763; Anglo-French relationships and alliances with indigenous peoples; French and Indian Wars Part 3: Slavery and the New World (1500 1800) This section focuses on slavery in the New World. It explores the origins of slavery in the Americas and the role of the colonial powers in the Atlantic slave trade. It explores the Middle Passage, slave resistance and opposition to the slave trade in British North America, led by the Quakers. This study of slavery allows for a comparative approach across the Americas. Reasons for, and origins of, slavery. The economic and social impact of slavery Role of the colonial powers in the establishment and expansion of slavery; asiento system Living and working conditions: the Middle Passage; social structures on plantations in the West Indies, Brazil and the southern colonies, slave resistance and slave rebellions
Quarter 2 (Independence Movements): Part 1: Independence movements (1763 1830) This section focuses on the various forces that contributed to the rise of the independence movements, the similar and different paths that the movements followed, and the immediate effects of independence in the region. It explores the political, intellectual and military contributions of their leaders, and the sometimes contradictory views that shaped the emergence of the new nations. Independence movements in the Americas: political, economic, social and religious causes; the influence of Enlightenment ideas; the role of foreign intervention; conflicts and issues leading to war Political, intellectual and military contributions of leaders to the process of independence: Washington, Bolivar and San Martin United States: processes leading to the Declaration of Independence; influence of ideas; nature of the declaration; military campaigns/battles and their impact on the outcome Latin America: characteristics of the independence processes; reasons for the similarities and differences in two Latin American countries; military campaigns/battles and their impact on the outcome Attitude of the United States towards Latin American independence; nature of, and reasons for, the Monroe Doctrine Impact of independence on the economies and societies of the Americas: economic cost of the wars of independence; the establishment of new trade relations; impact on different social groups specifically indigenous peoples, African Americans, Creoles Part 2: Nation-building and challenges (c1780 c1870) This section focuses on the challenges and problems that came with independence. It explores the ways in which, and the reasons why, the countries of the region attempted to build their nations. Independent and new nations emerged; the colonial empires, with few exceptions, were gone; New World links were forged yet the colonial legacy remained. The task of building new nations opened the doors to novel ways of political and economic thinking and to the redefining of concepts such as nation and state. United States: Articles of Confederation; the 1787 Constitution: philosophical underpinnings; major compromises and changes in the US political system Latin America: challenges to the establishment of political systems; the nature of caudillo rule, and regional conditions leading to its establishment; the policies and impact of caudillo rule in one country War of 1812: causes and impact on British North America and the United States Mexican American War (1846 1848): causes and effects on the region Canada: causes and effects of 1837 rebellions; the Durham report and its implications; challenges to the Confederation; the British North America Act of 1867 compromises, unresolved issues, regionalism, effects Quarter 3 (American Civil War & Reconstruction): United States Civil War: Causes, course and effects (1840 1877) This section focuses on the United States Civil War between the North and the South (1861 1865), which is often perceived as the great watershed in the history of the United States. It transformed the country forever, but the war created a new set of problems: how would the country be reunited? How would the South rebuild its society and economy? How would the four million freed former slaves fit into society? Slavery: cotton economy and slavery; conditions of enslavement; adaptation and resistance; abolitionist debate ideological, legal, religious and economic arguments for and against slavery, and their impact Origins of the Civil War: the Nullification Crisis; states rights; sectionalism; slavery; political issues; economic differences between the North and South Reasons for, and effects of, westward expansion and the sectional debates; the crises of the 1850s; compromise of 1850; political developments, including the Lincoln Douglas debates and the presidential election of 1860 Union versus Confederate: strengths and weaknesses; economic resources; role and significance of leaders during the Civil War; role of Lincoln; significant military battles/campaigns Factors affecting the outcome of the Civil War; the role of foreign relations; the Emancipation Proclamation (1863) and participation of African Americans in the Civil War Reconstruction: presidential and congressional plans; methods of southern resistance; economic, social and political successes and failures African Americans in the New South: legal issues; the black codes; Jim Crow laws
Quarter 4 (The 20 th Century): This is an overview of Year 2, 20 th Century Topics which will be covered in a cursory manner for the SOL Test in June. Part 1: The Emergence of America in Global Affairs This section focuses on the impact of modernization in the region on foreign policy, including an exploration of the involvement of the region in the First World War. Modernization shaped the new nations, and its effects created the basis for a major shift in the foreign policies of the region. By the end of the 19th century, for example, the United States played a more active role in world affairs and in the affairs of Latin America in particular, thus transforming inter-american relations. When the First World War ended, its impact was felt in the economic, social and foreign policies of the participating countries. United States expansionist foreign policies: political, economic, social and ideological reasons Spanish American War (1898): causes and effects Impact of United States foreign policies: the Big Stick; Dollar Diplomacy; moral diplomacy United States and the First World War: from neutrality to involvement; reasons for US entry into the First World War; Wilson s peace ideals and the struggle for ratification of the Treaty of Versailles in the United States Impact of the First World War on the United States: economic, political, social and foreign policies Part 2: The Great Depression and the Americas (mid 1920s 1939) This section focuses on the causes and nature of the Great Depression as well as the different solutions adopted by governments in the region, and the impact on these societies. The Great Depression produced the most serious economic collapse in the history of the Americas. It affected every country in the region and brought about the need to rethink economic and political systems. The alternatives that were offered, and the adaptations that took place, marked a watershed in political and economic development in many countries in the region. With respect to the last three bullets, a case-study approach should be adopted, using one country from the region as an example. The chosen country should be identified in the introduction to the examination answers. The Great Depression: political and economic causes in the Americas Nature and efficacy of solutions in the United States: Hoover; Franklin D Roosevelt and the New Deal Critics of the New Deal; impact of the New Deal on US political and economic systems Impact of the Great Depression on society: specifically the impact on women and minorities; impact of the Great Depression on the arts and culture Part 3: The Second World War and the Americas (1933 1945) As the world order deteriorated in the late 1930s, resulting in the outbreak of war in Europe and Asia, the countries of the region reacted in different ways to the challenges presented. This section focuses on the changing policies of the countries in the region as a result of growing political and diplomatic tensions prior to, and during, the Second World War. It also examines the impact of the war upon the Americas. Hemispheric reactions to the events in Europe and Asia: inter-american diplomacy; cooperation and neutrality; Franklin D Roosevelt s Good Neighbor policy its application and effects Involvement and participation of the United States in the Second World War Social impact of the Second World War; impact on women and minorities; conscription Treatment of Japanese Americans, Reasons for, and significance of, US use of atomic weapons against Japan Economic and diplomatic effects of the Second World War Part 4: Political developments in the United States (1945 1980) This section explores the domestic concerns and political developments in the United States and Canada, with a specific focus on the domestic policies and achievements of particular leaders in each country. In the United States, there is also a focus on economic development and the changing composition of the main political parties. In Canada, there is an exploration of the separatism of the Quiet Revolution. Truman and the Fair Deal; domestic policies of Eisenhower Kennedy and the New Frontier; Johnson and the Great Society Nixon s domestic policies; Watergate and possible impeachment; Ford s domestic policies and pardon of Nixon; Carter s domestic policies; and the impact on elections
Part 5: The Cold War and the Americas (1945 1981) This section focuses on the development and impact of the Cold War on the region. Most of the second half of the 20th century was dominated by the global conflict of the Cold War. Within the Americas, some countries were closely allied to the United States and some took sides reluctantly. Many remained neutral or sought to avoid involvement in Cold War struggles. A few, influenced by the Cuban Revolution, instituted socialist governments. No nation, however, escaped the pressures of the Cold War, which had a significant impact on the domestic and foreign policies of the countries of the region. Truman: containment and its implications for the Americas; the rise of McCarthyism and its effects on domestic and foreign policies of the United States; social and cultural impact of the Cold War Korean War, the United States and the Americas: reasons for participation; military developments; diplomatic and political outcomes Eisenhower and Dulles: New Look and its application; characteristics and reasons for the policy; repercussions for the region United States involvement in Vietnam: the reasons for, and nature of, the involvement at different stages; domestic effects and the end of the war; United States foreign policies from Kennedy to Carter: the characteristics of, and reasons for, policies; implications for the region: Kennedy s Alliance for Progress; Carter s quest for human rights and the Panama Canal Treaty (1977) Part 6: Civil rights and social movements in the Americas post 1945 This section examines the origins, nature, challenges and achievements of civil rights and social movements after 1945. Causes of some of these movements may be pre-1945. These movements represented the attempts to achieve equality for groups that were not recognized or accepted as full members of society,and they challenged established authority and attitudes. Indigenous peoples and civil rights in the Americas African Americans and the civil rights movement: origins, tactics and organizations; the US Supreme Court and legal challenges to segregation in education; ending of segregation in the south (1955 1980) Role of Dr Martin Luther King Jr in the civil rights movement; the rise of radical African American activism (1965 1968): Black Panthers; Black Power and Malcolm X; role of governments in civil rights movements in the Americas Feminist movements in the Americas; reasons for emergence; impact and significance Hispanic American movement in the United States; Cesar Chavez; immigration reform Youth culture and protests of the 1960s and 1970s: characteristics and manifestation of a counterculture Part 7: The Americas (1980 2005) This section focuses on changing trends in foreign and domestic policies in the Americas. In the latter decades of the 20th century, the region experienced significant political, social, cultural and economic changes. The section also considers the transitions to democracy in Latin America and the challenges encountered. The United States: domestic policies of presidents Reagan, GHW Bush and Clinton; challenges; effects on the United States; impact upon the hemisphere; continuities and changes in US foreign policy: Reagan, GHW Bush and Clinton; from bipolar to unilateral power; impact on the region Economic and political cooperation in the Americas: reasons for and impact Terrorism; 9/11 and response: domestic impact Course Materials Texts: The American Colonies, Alan Taylor. More texts will be added to the syllabus as they become available. Supplemental articles and documents will be provided when necessary and will be available on the class blog page. You can access it at: http://www.cityschools.com/arackley/ You will be expected to come to class every day with all necessary materials: loose leaf paper, 3 inch binder (specifically for history class), #2 pencil, and blue/black ink pen. All essays must be written in pen.
Grading Grades will be calculated according to the following percentages: Tests: 35% Projects/LAPS: 20% Classwork/Homework: 10% Quizzes: 35% The Internal Assessment will factor in as a separate grade, and this will be explained when we get to this assignment in November/December. Assignments will be scored on the IB Essay Rubric Scale. This is approximately what it means: Extra credit will be available equally to all students; however, it will be given on a limited basis only. This extra credit will NOT be given to compensate for work that you have failed to complete or turn in. Extra credit will only be offered to those who have completed ALL of their regularly assigned work. Extra credit will ONLY be applied to a student s test grade, NOT their midterm exam, final exam, or final grades. Late work will generally NOT be accepted unless you receive an extension from me BEFORE the due date. When it is, it will be accepted according to the following rules: In accordance to school policy (see student handbook), missed work will only be allowed to be made-up when your absence has been excused. Work missed during an unexcused absence will be recorded as a zero. Work missed during an excused absence will be given an equal number of days to be made up as you were absent from school. After that time, a score of zero will be given for that assignment. For example- if you are absent ONE day, and your absence is marked AE (absent excused), you will have ONE class day to make it up and turn it in. If you are absent ONE day and your absence is marked AU (absent unexcused), you will NOT be allowed to make it up and the grade will be recorded as a ZERO.
It is YOUR responsibility to come to me to schedule an appropriate time to make-up missed work, tests and quizzes. The same policy as outline above applies to any assessments. It is not my job to hunt you down and give you your assignments! If you do not reschedule tests/quizzes, or retrieve your missed assignments when returning to school, the missed work will count as a zero in your quarter average While on the subject of attendance: in accordance to policy as stated in your student handbook if you have more than 16 unexcused absences in a year, your grade will automatically become a 60. Please come to class. Generally speaking, you can count on there being a quiz at the beginning of EVERY week on material from that week s reading assignments. (ie: If ch. 2 is due on Monday, there will be a quiz on ch. 2 on Monday BEFORE I talk about it in class that week.) If we are not in school on Mondays, the quiz will occur the next time I see you. If you earn a grade of a C or below on a written (essay) quiz, you may be allowed to re-take it. This means you must earn an IB rubric grade of 8:15 or less. This re-take must occur within 5 school days of receiving the grade, and will not be allowed for standing grades of zero. All re-takes must be scheduled with me, and occur before/after school or during your lunch. The re-take may not be exactly the same as the original. (ie: like quizzes, essay questions will be drawn at random.) * Re-takes are a privilege. They are NOT a right. * If you abuse this policy (meaning you or the class is chronically unprepared to take the quizzes at the scheduled time) then I reserve the right to REVOKE the re-take privilege. General Rules & Guidelines Along with the rules outlined in the student handbook for James Monroe High School, the following rules will be specific to this class: 1. You, the students will respect each other, guests, substitutes and me, the teacher 2. Be prompt (be in class BEFORE the bell rings), and be prepared (bring all necessary materials) 3. Do not interrupt anyone while speaking 4. You may NOT make or receive cell phone calls during class. You may not text in class. Calls from parents are NOT an exception. If your phone goes off, or I see you texting, you will receive a warning. The next offense will result in a disciplinary referral. Phone use during a quiz or test may result in a ZERO. 5. Leaving the room during class is not allowed unless warranted, and with my permission. You may not leave the room during the first or last 10 minutes of class in accordance to school policy. 6. Class does not end with the bell. Class ends when I dismiss you. Extra Help Hours I will normally be available before school (7:20-7:45 am). My planning period is 2nd. If you want to make sure I will be available at that time, or you wish to see me after hours, you may want to schedule an appointment. I coach field hockey in the fall and will not always be available after school. E-mail is the best way to contact me
Permission to View Film/Video Occasionally, film/videos are used in the classroom in order to illustrate a particular curricular-related concept. I am notifying you that we will be watching a film/video in class with an R Rating. I will make every effort to skip or otherwise obscure any content inappropriate for students. Content in films used in US & VA History tend to depict scenes of modern warfare or physical abuse with its corresponding violence. Films may also depict racial stereotyping, prejudice and corresponding language. Examples of films shown might include: Black Robe, Good Night and Good Luck, Glory, 12 Years a Slave, New World, Last of the Mohicans, Princess Kai Iulani, Singin in the Rain, Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, Oh Brother Where Art Thou, The Manchurian Candidate, 13 Days, Red Tails, Holiday Inn, Some Like It Hot, Iron Jawed Angels, Gone with the Wind, Unchained Memories and Dr. Strangelove to name a few. Please contact us with any questions or concerns you may have: (540) 372-1100 x 2304; arackley@cityschools.com Yes, I give my son/daughter permission to view curriculum and school appropriate film/videos related to classroom content and subjects. No, I do not give my son/daughter permission to view films with an R rating above, or any of the other films listed and prefer he/she be given an alternative assignment. Parent/Guardian Name (Please Print): I have read and understand the class rules, guideline and expectations for Ms. Rackley s IB History course. Signature of Parent or Guardian: Date: Parent e-mail address Daytime Phone Evening Phone I have read and understand the class rules, guideline and expectations for Ms. Rackley s IB History course. Student s Name (Please Print): Student s Signature: Please detach this page and return to Ms. Rackley Rio